PROSPECT, Ky. — Nursing homes and long-term health facilities are still seeing high numbers of COVID-19 cases.
Rivers Edge Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Prospect leads the state in infected residents, with 66 positive coronavirus tests. Four residents have died, and 13 staff members have also tested positive.
"While most of the attention to date has been placed on the acute care environment, please remember that the most vulnerable individuals reside in long-term and congregate care settings," Rivers Edge said in a statement.
Right behind them, Ridgewood Terrace in Hopkins County has 56 residents and 10 staff members who tested positive. And in Graves County, Mills Manor has 46 positive residents and 23 staff members positive with the virus, per the Cabinet for Health and Family Services In Kentucky.
Overall, 53 facilities across the Bluegrass have had either residents, staff or both test positive for the coronavirus. In those facilities, 454 residents have gotten the virus and 68 residents have died.
Beth Fischer with CHFS said they are working with long term health facilities to remedy this problem.
"We’re working and planning every day to take care of the most vulnerable Kentuckians during the COVID-19 crisis," Fischer said in a statement.
Fischer said they have asked facilities to prepare COVID-19 wings where patients will be moved, isolated and cared for in an appropriate manner while others are taken to hospital. Treyton Oak Towers in Louisville has implemented such a system.
In a statement, Rivers Edge said they have implemented over 50 guidelines based mandates from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Disease Control and Prevention.
"Eight weeks ago we began working to develop guidelines and protocols in the unfortunate event that the virus became prevalent in our local community," Rivers Edge said in a statement. "Unfortunately, despite all our preparations, this unprecedented pandemic has affected our facility."
They have now started screening staff before entering the building, while also partnering with Mother Earth Brewery to create hand sanitizer for their facility. In March, they employed individuals to hand-make 12,000 masks for staff and residents.
Rivers Edge has also imposed visitor restrictions, updated their inventory with iPads to keep residents connected and are expanding their testing capabilities by partnering with a South Carolina lab to deliver results in 48 to 72 hours.
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